One of the things I miss most about home while at college is the farmer’s market every Saturday morning. There's nothing better than cooking a meal with local and seasonal foods, especially when you know the food is sustainably sourced. Luckily for me and the rest of WashU, The Office of Sustainability is bringing the 2nd annual Sustainable Harvest Festival to campus where you can buy local produce, gain new food-related skills, and celebrate Fall.
What will be there?
There will be fresh and local produce sold by LocalFarmer CSA's Dave Smith. If you're really excited about supporting local farms, you can pick up produce every week on campus by signing up for the CSA farm share box program. The boxes include everything from vegetables to eggs. There are customizable options with the program, and you can even include meat or dairy products as well.
Farm share programs like this one are a great way to get local produce, especially if you're like me and don't have a lot of time to get off of campus. The box is only $20, and you can always share the subscription with friends or roommates if you don't want to commit to using all of the produce on your own.
The festival will have a variety of skill shares to increase your food knowledge. The student-run farm group Burning Kumquat will be hosting a "pickling" skill share (read: an opportunity to make your own pickles). There will also be a chance to make your own fresh apple cider from a cider press, or even learn to mill acorns for flour and taste acorn-flour muffins.
If skill shares aren't your thing, other student groups at the event, including food publications Simple Syrup and Spoon (because we can't resist an event about food), will be tabling and supporting sustainable eating. You can learn about food insecurity in St. Louis and efforts to reduce waste and feed more people from Campus Kitchen. Cultivating Connections will be selling seeds, and providing information about St. Louis immigrants and urban agriculture.
Why should you go?
If you aren't already sold, supporting local farmers and eating sustainably not only reduces your carbon footprint, but it also contributes to the local economy. This means eating seasonal fall foods is a win-win for you and the environment. Also, how could you turn down a chance to learn new skills like pickling, cider pressing, or milling? Did we mention there will be live music?
The Office of Sustainability is also excited to announce the release of their Food Guide, which member Julia Widmann says will be "packed full with information about how to eat environmentally, reduce food waste, Farmer’s Markets in St. Louis, how to get involved, and much more."
When is the festival?
The Sustainable Harvest Festival will take place on Thursday, October 26th from 3 to 5 pm in the Edison Courtyard outside the DUC. Stop by to sign up for the farm share program, buy local produce, gain some new food-related skills, listen to live music, and eat some free food. The festival will be a great way to celebrate Fall and to learn how to reduce your carbon footprint in the process.